Here's something else I came across from Paul Grangaard. He posted this a few days ago in an Ask Andy discussion on comparisons between AE and British shoe makers:

Quote:

I just want to say thanks for this thread and input. There are a number of good points in here. I'm going to share this dialogue with our production people, to help keep them on their toes. I'm a big believer in constant self-assessment and self-improvement. We buy our competitors shoes -- many of the Brits, in fact -- and analyze them outside and inside (we cut them apart to see the construction details up close). When I moved our best production manager, Bob Steffes, to focus on our finishing work, I told him his first goal was to become the best in the business. Period. Despite our much more "democratic" pricing. If you've followed the improvments in our walnut finishing over the past 3 years, you'll see he's making great progress. We're coming out with a new color this fall that we're naming "Bob's Chili" because Bob came up with it. We have a new, much richer oxblood in development for spring as well. And we're bringing out a new blucher wing tip on our 65 last (called the MacGregor) for our Rediscover America sale in October, btw. I'll look forward to your feedback on those.

As has been said, it would be nice if they spread their new offerings over a few different lasts, rather than, as it seems, focusing on the 5-65.

A blucher wingtip on the 5 last makes me , but the elimination of the MTO fee waiver and recent price increase makes me because I suspect I will really want this shoe in burgundy shell, but do not want to pay $800 for AE shell.

A blucher wingtip on the 5 last makes me , but the elimination of the MTO fee waiver and recent price increase makes me because I suspect I will really want this shoe in burgundy shell, but do not want to pay $800 for AE shell.

+1. I'm probably in on a wingtip blucher on the 5 last. For the first time in my life...I'd actually prefer calf. *GASP*
Looking forward to August.

Just thought I would share some pics of my shoes today along with a comparison of Truffle (McAllister) vs. Cappuccino (Bayfield) shell. I'm pretty sure I read here that they are the same color and AE named lighter versions Truffle to combat the color variation. I wonder if that variation, like Walnut shell, has scared AE from bringing it back as well.

I was in an AE retail store a few days ago and spotted a shoe in Bob's Chili. I really liked it - it reminded me a bit of Gaziano & Girling's Rioja, although it did not have a shine on it. Looking forward to the Fall offerings very much!

Just thought I would share some pics of my shoes today along with a comparison of Truffle (McAllister) vs. Cappuccino (Bayfield) shell. I'm pretty sure I read here that they are the same color and AE named lighter versions Truffle to combat the color variation. I wonder if that variation, like Walnut shell, has scared AE from bringing it back as well.